48 Transactions . — Miscellaneous. 



Eiddles ; Guessing Games ; Kai, or Panga. 

 These are simple. A person will take some small object 

 and show it to his companions. He then brings his two 

 hands together and draws both across his mouth. One is 

 then allowed to guess where the object is. It may be in 

 either hand or in the mouth. When one guesses aright he 

 then becomes leader. Or the small object may be between 

 two of his finger-tips, all being pressed together. 



KOEOROHU, OR PUROROHU, OR POROTITI. 



This is a small, flat, and thin piece of wood, matai or ma- 

 para, about 3 in. long. Some are rounded at the ends, and 

 some left square or brought to a point like a tipcat. Two 

 holes are made near each other in the centre, and an endless 

 string passes through same. By pulling the string in opposite 

 directions the stick is twirled rapidly round in alternate direc- 

 tions, making at the same time a whizzing noise. The bights 

 of the cord are placed over the thumbs of the operator. The 

 following was sung while operating the kororohu : — 



A Ngari Porotiti (Kororohu), 

 Ka kukume, ka kukume au 

 I te tau o taku porotiti 

 Ki whakaawe ki Rangi-taiki 

 Ko Te Koha, ko Muru-takaka, ko Te Ahi-kai-ata 

 Ko te Koroki, ko Poututu, ko Te Au-tahae 

 Ka hoki mai te tau o taku porotiti 

 Hu-hu, wheo-wheo ! 



PUREREHUA, OR BULL-ROARER. 



A thin, flat piece of matai wood, an elongated oval, 18 in. 

 ■or more in length. A cord about 4 ft. long is attached to one 

 end, the other end of the cord being fastened to a stick 3 ft. in 

 length, which serves as a handle by which the operator swings 

 the "roarer" round, causing it to make a loud whirring, 

 booming sound. This noise is said to be made by the loairua 

 (spirit) of the operator. A similar belief obtains among cer- 

 tain Australian tribes, who use these bull-roarers at certain 

 rites and initiation ceremonies. 



Porotiti.' 



This has also been described to me as the name of a tee- 

 totum made from a piece of gourd-rind pared down and 

 having a small sliver of wood stuck in the centre. It was 

 twirled by this stem between the thumb and forefinger. 



Whai, or Cat's Cradle. 

 The principal string game of the tvhare tapere of yore was 

 the above, known in full as the " ivhai ivawewaioe a Maui." 

 It was a favourite amusement of young people, and the elders 



